Born in Omaha, Biase's rap sheet went back to 1922. It included several burglary and assault charges. Biase and his brother Benny owned a cigar store that served as a front for a bookmaking operation. During the 1930s, Biase was arrested on charges including bookmaking, burglary, and armed robbery. He eventually became involved in illegal gambling operations in San Francisco and Los Angeles, and later on mob-owned casinos in Las Vegas. Biase later became an associate of New York Genovese crime family boss Vito Genovese as he extended his criminal operations in the West.